Latch mechanism



J1me 1945. F. H. ROGERS V LATCH MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1943 7 jwcm co; I Frarzi1yj?oye 715 4' Patented June 5, 1945 i U TEM A TO X- I This inventionrelates to a latch mechanism and has relation7 more particularly to a mechanism of; this kind espcciallyrdesigned and adapted forause in connection: witha: sliding door, andit is an object: of the: invention'to. provide a mechanism of this kind includingza pin swingingly carried; by the door,:7with. means carried bythe door for holding thefipinl in such position as to readily engagea keeper. member positioned upon a wall adjacent; to7'the7door, opening, together-with further means for holding said pim against 'retraction when operatively engaged with; the keeper. member. 7 y 7 r It is also an object-,7 of the invention to provide a latch mechanismzparticularly designed for use in connection with aslidingdoor and wherein 7thQ7 1atCh7IiS constructed in a manner to provide means whereby the latchiwill automatically close Whenthe dooris moved intoits closed position. i

, The invention consists in the details of con- 7 struct-ion and in the combination and,arrangementor the several parts of my improved latch mechanism whereby certain importantadvantages are attained, as will behereinafter more fully set forth. 7 7 l l In order that ,my inventionmay be better understood, I will now proceed to describe thesame with reference to the accompanying drawing, whereinrit i i Figure 1 is a view in 7 elevation7illustrating7 a latch mechanism constructedin accordancewith an embodiment of my inventiom the. associated door and wall being in fragment 7,,Eigure 27 is a sectional view 'taken substan tially onthe line 227of Figural.

i 7 .Fi'gur 3 isa sectional view taken substantially on the line 3+3 of Figural, the door being shown in full. lines, in partly openedposition andindicated in fully closed position by broken lines. Figure 4 isa sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4.of Figure 1, and 7 l i 7 i Figure 5 is a view in elevation, witha portion broken away, of the bolt as herein embodied, unalpplieda 7 7 h 77 7' As disclosed inthe accompanying drawing, W

denotes a wall, such as the side wall of: a car,

having the usual door opening 0 with which is associated a sliding door D. While this door D may be of any. type desired it is preferred to be substantially of the character'of door comprised m y pending application Serial No. 453,747,

filedAugust 5771942., l 7 7 i i The forward or front portion of the door D at the. required location thereon is provided with an outstanding staple I with whichis freelyien- 8 Claims. (01. Zea-saw plate 67 suitablyanchored to the outer face of: the

WallW adjacent to thedoor opening 0 and in suohposition that when the pin-3 is substantially horizontal, said pin willenter the opening 4: dur ing: the period, the door D is; being broughtinto itsfullyclosedposition. l

, To facilitate the entrance of the pin 371m the opening 4, the door D at a point below and forwardly ofthestaple l is provided withan out- 87 is in register with a vertically disposed opening 9- through the keeper block 5 and. in which is slidably received-the lower portion of the holding bolt, m. This bolt ll! is also slidablydisposed through an outstanding;- flange, carried by the plate figandoverlying. the keeper block 5. Above the flange H and at a side of the plate fi islan withaflnotchfl l. l 71 y 7 7 7 i As clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing, this plate l277is disposed inwardly, in a direction transversely of the plate 6 or in7a'di-7 rectionaway from the dooropening O onan angle of approximately 90 degrees andthe. notch 14 hereinbefore referred to is in relatively close proximitytdtheouter or free end of this plate l2.

When the bolt IO is in its'raised position so as to be free pi the opening 4 of the keeper block 5, a laterallydisposed arm l5at the upper end of plate 6 is providedwith an outwardly disposed cap plate l6 extending i'n'the same general direc- 7 tion as the flange" H butspaced a'sufiicientdistance thereabove to-permit desired manipulation 7 of the bolt l0. 1

The bolt ID, as is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, is ofa length toiextendbelow the keeper block 5 when the boltis inoperative engagement with the pin 3 and saidlower or outstanding plate I727 provided in its. upper, face i extended end portion is provided therethrough with an opening I! to allow for the application of the conventional seal I8.

In connection with a sliding door, particularly of the type used on freight cars, it is of extreme importance that means be provided to permit an automatic release of the latch mechanism when the door D is closed. In the present embodiment of the invention, the door D has secured thereto, as at I9, a pin 20. This pin 20 extends slightly beyond the end of the door beyond the forward or front end of the door and is positioned slightly above the plate I2, so that the extended or free extremity of the pin 20 will contact therounded portion 2| at the outer extremity of the arm I5 when said arm is resting within the notch M of the plate l2.

This' contact of the pin 20 with the under rounded portion 2| of the arm [5 will raise the arm [5 out of the notch l4 and at the same time swing the arm l5 outwardly beyond and free of the plate l2 so that the bolt ID will drop by gravity into its locking or holding engagement with the pin 3. a

This action of the pin 20 upon the arm I5 is further facilitated by having the outer-extremity of thepin 2n rounded, as at 22, said rounded portion being disposed inwardly and outwardly'with respect to the pin 20 whereas the rounded portion 2| of the arm I5 is disposed in substantially the opposite direction when the arm I5 is at rest upon the plate or part l2.

It has also been found advantageous to have the bolt l slightly tapered or wedge-like so that when it is disposed through the opening 4 of the pin 3, it will have the eflfect of holding the door D more tightly closed,

It is also to be pointed out that the angular arrangement of the plate or part [2 assures the arm l passing out of the notch I 4 under the action of the pin 20 as such particular arrangement of the plate or part l2 permits thebolt It] to readily turn and not have a tendency to remain solid as would be the case if said plate or part H! was substantially at right angles to the 'plate 6. 4

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a latch mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

What is claimed is:

1. Latching means for a closure member mounted for movement to opened or closed position relative to an opening, comprising a pin adapted to be shiftably supported by theclosure member, a keeper member adapted to be mounted adjacent to the opening, said keeper member having an opening to receive the pin as the closure member is-moved into closed position and the pin is in substantially a horizontal position, means coacting with the keeper member and the pin when engaged therewith to hold the pin against retraction, means forholding the said last named means free of the pin, andcoacting parts adapted 'to be carried by the first named means and the closure member for releasing the first named means from its free position when the closure member is moved into substantially fully closed position.

2. Latching means for a closure member mounted for movement to opened or closed position relative to an opening, comprising a pin adapted to be shiftably supported by the closure member, a keeper member adapted to be mounted adjacent to the opening, said keeper member having an opening to receive the pin as the closure member is moved into closed position and the pin is in substantially a horizontal position, a bolt freel moving through the keeper member from above and engageable with the pin to hold the pin keeper, andcoacting means carried by the sliding closure member and the bolt for freeing said bolt from its holding means to permit the bolt to drop tion to allow the bolt to drop by gravity intoholdinto holding engagement with the pin.

' I 3. Latching means for a closure member mounted for movement to opened or closed position relative to an opening, comprising a pin adapted to be supported by the closure member, a keeper adapted to be mounted upon the wall adjacent to the opening, said keeper having an opening to receive the pin as said closure member is moved into closed position, a bolt supported above the keeper, said bolt being freely insertible by gravity through the keeper member to engage the pin to hold the pin against retraction, a laterally disposed arm carried by the bolt, a part adapted to be carried by the wall with which the arm of the bolt engages to hold the bolt in raised position free of the pin, and a part adapted to be carried by the closure member to engage the arm of the bolt when such arm is in engagement'with the first part to free arm from thesaid first part as the closure member is moved into closed posiing engagement with the pin. v

4. Latching means for a closure member mounted for movement to opened or closed position relative to an opening, comprising a pin adapted tobe mounted on the closure member, akee'per member adapted to be mounted upon the wall adjacent to the opening, said keeper member having an opening to receive the pin of the closure member as the closure member is moved into closed position, a bolt adapted to be supported by the wall for both endwise and rotary movement, said bolt freely-extending into the keeper to engage the pin to hold the pin against retraction, a laterally disposed arm carried by the bolt, and a part adapted to be carried by the wall with which said arm of the bolt releasablyengages upon turningmovement of the bolt to hold the bolt in a position free of the pin as it enters the keeper.

5. Latching means for a closure member mounted for movement to opened or closed positionrelative to an opening, comprising, a pin adapted to be mounted on the closure member, a keeper member adapted to be mounted upon the wall adjacent to the opening, said keeper member having an opening to receive'the pin of the closuremember as the closure member is moved into closed position, a bolt adapted to be supported by the wall for both endwise and rotary movement, said bolt freely extending into the keeper to engage the pin to hold the pin against retraction, a laterally disposed arm carried by the bolt, a part adapted to be carried by the wall with which said arm of the bolt releasably engages upon turning movement of the bolt to hold the bolt in a position free of the pin as it enters the keeper, and means for automatically turning the bolt to release the arm from the part as the pin enters the keeper to permit the bolt to automatically move into holding engagement with the pin.

' 6. Latching means for a closure member mounted for movement to opened or closed position relative to an opening, comprising a plate adapted to be secured to the Wall adjacent to the opening, an outstanding keeper block carried by the plate and having an opening therein,

a pin adapted to be carried bythe closure member and entering the opening of the keeper block as the closure member is moved into closed position, an outstanding flange carried by the plate above the keeper block,a bolt slidably and,ro

tatably disposed through the flange and extending downwardly and freely through the keeper blockto engage the pin to hold the pin against retraction, a laterally disposed arm carriedby the bolt, and an outstanding part carried by the plate above the keeper block, the arm of the bolt engaging said part from above, said part being spaced a distance above the keeper block tohold the bolt raised free of the opening in the keeper book when the arm of the bolt is engaged with 3 the part, said bolt when the arm is freed from the part dropping by gravity into holding engagement with the bolt.

7. Latching means for a closure member mounted for movement to opened or closed position relative to an opening, comprisinga plate adapted to be secured to the wall adjacent to the opening, an outstanding keeper block carried by the plate and having an opening therein, a pin adapted to be carried by the closure member and entering the opening of the keeper block as the closure member is moved into closed position, an outstanding flange carried by the plate above the keeper block, a bolt slidably and rotatably disposed through thefiange and extending downwardly and freely through the keeper block to engage the pin to hold the pin against retraction, a laterally disposed arm carried by the bolt, an outstanding part carried by the plate above the keeper block, the arm of the bolt engaging said part from above, said part being spaced a distance abovethe keeper block to hold the bolt raised free of the opening in the keeper block when the arm of thebolt is engaged with the part, "said bolt when the arm is freed from the part dropping by gravity into holding engageadapted to be carried by the closure member, a

keeper adapted to be mounted upon the wall adjacent to the opening, said keeper having an opening to receive the pin of said closure member as said closure member ismoved into closed position,

a bolt adapted to be supported by the Wall above the keeper, said bolt being freely insertible by gravity through the keeper member to engage the pin to hold the pin against retraction, a

laterally disposed arm carried by the bolt, a

part adapted to be carried by the wall with which the arm of the bolt engages to hold the bolt in raised position free of the pin, and a part adapted to be carried by the closure member to engage the arm of the bolt when-in engagement with the first part to free arm from the said first part as the closure memberfimoves into closed position to allow the pin to drop by gravity into holding engagement with the bolt, said first'part being provided inits top portion with a notch in which the arm of the bolt seats, said first part being angularly disposed in a direction away from the door opening to facilitate the release of the arm of the bolt from said first part under the action of the part carried. by the closure member.

, FRANK H. ROGERS. 

